Inmates and butterflies at Mission Creek

Dennis Aubrey, a grad student from The Evergreen College and a research associate, captures a Painted Lady butterfly that got loose from its container in the captive rearing lab at the Mission Creek Corrections Center in Belfair. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

The Painted Lady butterfly is the training surrogate species for the inmates at the Mission Creek Corrections Center in Belfair to learn. The program is going to raise the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, a state-endangered species. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

Inmate Carolina Landa, working in the captive rearing lab at the Mission Creek Corrections Center in Belfair, holds a Painted Lady butterfly that is being used to help train inmates on how to handle butterflies. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

Inmate Carolina Landa, left, works in the captive rearing lab at the Mission Creek Corrections Center in Belfair to learn how to raise butterflies. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

Inmate Carolina Landa works in the captive rearing lab at the Mission Creek Corrections Center in Belfair. The Painted Lady butterfly, which is being used as a training species, is in the containers on the left. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN